Tuesday 8th August 2023.
This morning, I made the effort to get up at first light and make my way down to the Dawlish Warren car park near the nature reserve. I already had the ‘gen’ in not having to pay in the car park till 8am which left me with a good couple of hours to do a spot of ‘sea-watching’. Though overcast, there was a moderate southerly wind blowing and as recommended by the local birders, I watched from the Lifeguard Station. I then spent the next hour and a half enjoying a really good sea-watch where I notched up another ‘year-tick’, which puts me on 194 species for the year. Though I had no coat, it was not too bad warmth-wise, though I did have my fleece on.
The Boathouse Pub behind me had erected ‘bird scarers’ in the audio sound of calling raptors, which made me laugh, especially with all the Gulls sitting on the roof totally ignoring it. This was the background noise I had for the next 90 minutes and arriving at the site around 5.45am, I virtually had the whole place to myself. Or so I thought, when I noticed a couple of Metal Detectorists on the beach and a group of ladies off for their morning ‘float’ in the sea!
Langstone Rock to my right. I could see several Cormorants and a few Great Black-backed Gulls resting on this outcrop of rocks.
Now for the birds. I have to say, I thought it was going to be a bit quiet after the strong winds had abated, but how wrong I was going to be. There was virtually a stream of Gannets going through, with plenty more fishing offshore in Lyme Bay and mostly adults from what I could see through the scope. On the sea, a Great Crested Grebe swam and then a small group of Common Scoter flew in and also landed on the sea; two males and a female. Two more flocks of Common Scoter were also seen a while later; a group of four then a group of 5 flying low distantly over the sea.
Kittiwakes were in good numbers too, with possibly up to 30+ birds going through over the sea, although distantly. Without doubt the best sighting of all were the two Storm Petrels. Though both quite distant, I could clearly identify what they were with their distinctive flight and small size. I think the last Storm Petrel I saw was off Hayling Island many years ago about the same time of the year. So, this really whetted my appetite as I picked up a second bird pattering across the sea, but it was soon lost to view. I was then hoping for a Shearwater or a Skua to add to my already impressive list of sightings, but it wasn't to be and I had to depart once the rain started coming in.
Other sightings included a reasonably close Fulmar heading west and a Guillemot also heading in the same direction. Both Little Egret and Grey Heron were seen flying west, which was a little unexpected and a small flock of three Shags went low west over the sea. Sandwich Terns were passing through constantly throughout my stay, including quite a few juvenile birds. Shortly after the second Storm Petrel sighting, a pod of Dolphins, which were most likely Risso’s judging by the size and shape of them, swam distantly heading east (my first of the year).
That was 90 minutes very well spent and I am very tempted to do it all again tomorrow. I am hoping to go back to Dawlish Warren Nature Reserve later today if the weather improves to check out if any migrants are in and also the Estuary for the waders.
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